How do you get exercise as a sports spectator?

Whether your favorite sport to watch is horse racing or NASCAR, soccer or paddle tennis, put yourself into the action with this spectator sports workout. This weekend, I watched my daughter row to victory at the Midwest Rowing Championships. Go team! But I didn’t just watch. I got my #33minutes by putting myself "all in" as a spectator.

If you're at a live on field event, don't just sit there, move!

I trekked back and forth across that river course all day long. Cheering on every boat that raced in the team wasn't a hardship, and knowing I was getting my exercise made all those trips back and forth feel purposeful.

There’s a tradition at Texas A&M University that the 13th man on the football team is the crowd. This comes from a story from more than 50 years ago, before teams were large. The story goes that a player was injured and the team would have to play a man down, but a fan came from the stands on to the field in his place. I know I feel that way when I watch the kids race - that I am sending them all my strength.

Here’s to caring so much about your favorite athletes that you do the spectator workout with them.